Hopper door for railway cars



May 24, 1932. a. G. GlLPlN HOPPER DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Oct. 5, 1929 fflvenfbr:

621271 6. 697mb v I Mk Patented May 24, 1932 PATENT or GARTH G. GILIPIN, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS (lOIlVlY'EANY OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE norrna noon For. RAILWAY cans Application filed October 5, 1929. Serial No. 397,591.

My invention relates to the construction of railway cars of the dumping or drop bottom type, such as hopper cars, hopper gondola cars, drop bottom or general service gondola cars or the like, having a door forming a part of the load retaining means, which door is provided with hinges adjacent one of its edges and is capable of being dropped or swung open to discharge the load. Any means of raising the door to the closed position and any means for locking and releasing the door may be employed with my door.

I prefer to make the door of cast metal because a better distribution of the metal for strength requirements can be obtained without the use of separate fixtures, and furthermore, cast metal has greater resistance to corrosion than rolled steel.

An object of the invention is to provide a door of cast metal formed and shaped so that it will not be deformed by warping when cooling, and furthermore, will eliminate shrinkage cracks and internal stresses.

Another object of the invention is to reinforce a hopper car door in such a way to also increase the cubical capacity of the car.

In the drawings: 7

Figs. 1 and 2 show plan views of typical doors formed according to my invention.

Figs. 3 to 10 show modified forms described later.

The door comprises marginal portions 2, a flange 3, (which is preferably inclined upwardly) depending from the inner edge of the marginal portions, and a main portion 4 in a spaced apart plane from the marginal portion 2 merging into the flange 3 between the opposite e gas.

The main portion 4 may be circular, as shown in Fig. 2, or substantially rectangular, as shown in Fig. l, and if desired, reinforcing brackets 7 may be provided extending to the corners of the door and other reinforcing brackets 8 positioned at convenient places around the perimeter of the flange and further the main portion 4 itself may be reinforced by flanges 9, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which may be positioned, if desired, to form a continuous flange between opposite corners of the door, as shown in Fig. 2. The main portion 4 may be flat, as shown in Fig. 3, or I bulged upwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, or bulgeddownwardly, as shown in Fig. 6. The flange may be substantially normal to the marginal portion, as shown in Fig. 3, or inclined inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4:, or inclined outwardly, as shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 7 shows a modification wherein the flange 3 is inclined outwardly. and a portion 12 of the main portion 4 is positioned normal to this flange and connected by a substantially .flat part 13.

Fig. 10shows another modification wl1erein the flange is positioned obliquely (15) above the main portion and positioned (16) normal to the marginal portions below the main portion 4.

. Figs. 8 and 9 show modified constructions wherein the door comprises a marginal portion 2 and flange 3 depending from the inner edge of the marginal portion, a shelf 18 in spaced apart plane from the marginal por tion merging into the flange 3 between its opposite edges and web 19 positioned at the inner edge of the shelf and a secondary portion 20 in spaced apart planes from the shelf.- In Fig. 8 this secondary portion 20 merges into the web 19 between its opposite edges, while in'Fig. 9, it merges into the web 19 at the upper edge thereof.

The hinge lugs 24 are preferably cast integral with the door.

The accompanying drawingsillustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not 5.

ginal portion, and a main portion in a spaced apart plane from said marginal portion merging into said flange between its opposite edges. I

2. A ,hingeable door forming part ofthe load retaining means of a railway dump car comprising a marginal portion, an inclined flange depending from the inner edge of said marginal portion, and a main portion in a spaced apart plane from said marginal portion merging into said flange between its opposite edges.

3. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway dump car comprising a marginal portion, an inwardly inclined flange depending from the, inner edge of'said marginal portion, and a main portion in a spacedapart plane from said mar inal portion merging into said flange between its opposite edges.

4. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway dump car comprising a marginal portion, a flange de-:.

pending from'the inner edge of said marginal portion, and a main portion in a spaced apart plane from said marginal portionmerging into said flange between its opposite edges, said main portion being formed: in a substantially semi-spherical plan-e.

5. A hingeable door forming part of the" load retaining means of a railwaydump car comprislng a marginal portion, a flange depending from the inner edge of said marginal 7 portion, and a main portion in a spaced apart plane from said marginal portlon merging into sa1d flange between its opposite edges,

said main portion being formed. in an 'up'-.

wardly projecting substantially semi-spherical plane. r

6. A liingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway dump car comprising a marginal portion, a flange depending from the inner edge of said marginal portion, ashelf, a web positioned at the inner edge of the shelf, and 'a secondary portlon in a spaced-apart plane from said shelf merging into the web between its opposite edges. 7 V

7. A'hingeabledoor forming; part of the load retaining means of a railway dump car, comprising a marginal portion, a flange depending fromthe inner edge of said marginal portion, a shelf in'a'spaced apartplane from said marginal portion merging into said flange between its opposite edges, a web positioned at the inner edge of the shelf, and a secondary portion in a spaced apart plane from sald shelfmerginginto the web between its opposite edges, said secondary portion being positioned in a plane between the 7 planes of the main portion and the shelf.

8. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway dump car, comprising a marginal portion, a flange depending from the inner edge of said marginal portion, and a main portion in a spaced apart plane from said marginal portion-merging into said flange between its opposite edges,

' said flange being inwardly inclined abovethe main portion and vertical therebelow.

secondary portion in a spaced apart plane 7 from said shelf merging int'o the web; 7

1 10. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway dump car comprising a marginal portion, a flange depending. from theinner edge of said marginal portlon, a shelf in a spaced apart plane from saidqmarginal portion merging into said flange betweenits opposite edges, a web positioned' at the inner edge of the shelfyand a secondary portion in a spaced apart plane fromsaid shelf merging intothe web be tween its opposite edges.

GARTH dermis; 

